St. David’s School of Nursing

The St. David’s School of Nursing, located in Round Rock, educates and prepares graduates, using innovative teaching strategies and state-of-the-art technology, to function in professional nursing roles to manage illness; promote, maintain, and restore health; and provide end of life care for diverse individuals, families, populations, and communities across the lifespan. Graduates demonstrate competence in clinical judgment, collaborate as members of the interprofessional health care team and utilize scientifically-based interventions. These future nurses will provide ethical, safe, and effective patient-centered care and contribute to present and emerging research and health management practices.

The nursing program offers two undergraduate nursing programs. The first is a traditional face-to-face upper division Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.). Graduates of the traditional B.S.N. program are prepared to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®) and to meet the minimum competencies for beginning practice as a R.N.

The B.S.N. curriculum is 120 hours, including 61 hours of Texas State core curricular and prerequisite courses; and 59 hours of nursing courses. The traditional degree program in nursing is a face-to-face five semester program beginning at the junior level. Academic study in nursing is combined with clinical experiences in affiliated clinical settings, as well as hours spent in the simulation laboratories in the School of Nursing building located on the Round Rock campus. The curriculum is designed to accommodate the latest teaching technologies and learning strategies to provide students with the skills, knowledge and abilities needed for professional nursing practice in the 21st Century.

The second undergraduate nursing program is a hybrid B.S.N. completion program (R.N. to B.S.N). This program is for students that hold an associate's nursing degree from an accredited college. The B.S.N. completion curriculum includes 60 hours of nursing courses. The R.N. to B.S.N. program is hybrid with online didactic components, as well as strategically placed face-to-face experiences. The curriculum is designed for flexibility with the option of full or part-time study. Students can finish in as little as two semesters or as many as 6 semesters with extension by permission for the undergraduate program director.

Our graduates are prepared to pursue clinical excellence and certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and to continue formal education for the Master's Degree and Doctorate in Nursing. Nursing programs offered in the St. David's School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Immunizations and Basic Life Support

It is a policy of the College of Health Professions that each student will complete a Health Certificate and Immunization Test Form. These forms must be signed by a physician or licensed healthcare provider. Students must stay current on immunizations. Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professionals is also to be completed and remain current.

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen

The traditional B.S.N. student will undergo two background checks. The first criminal background check conducted through the Board of Nursing is required prior to admission to the St. David’s School of Nursing at Texas State. The second background check, conducted by a third party vendor, is required by our clinical partners and a valid social security number must be submitted Both traditional and R.N. to B.S.N. students must complete this background check and drug screen as part of the admission process. All nursing students are subject to random or for cause drug and alcohol screens.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)

Courses in Nursing (NURS)

NURS 3110. Health Assessment Across the Life Span Practicum.

This course requires demonstrated competency in the performance and documentation of physical assessments of well individuals and nursing care plans using the nursing process, critical thinking, and evidence-based practice. Apply teaching/learning principles in meeting the education needs of patients and demonstrate measures to maintain confidentiality of personal health information. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This course requires the use of nursing process and clinical reasoning principles to provide safe, effective, patient-centered care. Evidence-based practices will be used when performing essential nursing skills and procedures to care for patients experiencing acute and chronic alterations in health status. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This foundation course focuses on basic concepts related to essential nursing care of patients across the life span. Integration of knowledge of family systems, evidence-based practice, clinical reasoning, and the nursing process to provide
safe, effective, patient-centered care will occur. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

Access and barriers to healthcare, past and current healthcare policy, and the professional nurse's role in policy and delivery of healthcare, will be emphasized. Qualitative and quantitative research in relation to healthcare systems, evidence based nursing practice, and ethical topics will be discussed. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This course uses clinical experiences to apply the nursing process in providing safe, effective, and quality care to patients and families across the life span. Clinical reasoning and judgment will be used to provide ethical, holistic, and patient-centered nursing care, promote health, prevent disease, and manage illness. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

Conducting health histories and physical assessments of well individuals and developing nursing care plans that include patient age-specific health promotion, illness prevention, and risk factors will be emphasized. Assessments will encompass cultural domains, diversity, belief systems, and the implications for traditional as well as complementary and alternative healthcare. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This course utilizes clinical experiences to promote application of the nursing process in providing quality care to those experiencing mental health issues across the life span. Competency in using evidence-based practices to promote health, prevent disease, and manage illness will be developed. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This course explores the history of nursing in the context of the evolving healthcare system. Laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines impacting nursing licensure and professional practice will be examined. The delivery of patient and family-centered, evidence-based, and safe quality care will be explored. Restricted to Nursing Majors. (WI).

Introduction to critical appraisal of qualitative and quantitative research, and application of research and evidence-based processes used to improve decision-making and patient care outcomes across health settings. Integration of theory, information systems, clinical judgment, interprofessional perspectives and analysis of ethical conduct provide a foundation for learning the research process. Restricted to Nursing Majors. (WI).

This course applies theories, concepts, knowledge, and skills for the comprehensive nursing care of those coping with mental health issues. Building on a liberal education, this course integrates theories of mental illness, psychopathology, and current research findings as they relate to the presentation of symptoms and holistic management of care. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

Introduction and overview of pathology, clinical pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics, including how major drugs are used therapeutically for age-specific clients. Other topics to be covered include drug laws and regulations, patient and nurse safety. Prerequisite to NURS 3440 and NURS 3460. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This foundational course focuses on the use of clinical reasoning and judgment to provide collaborative care to patients across the life span experiencing chronic and acute alterations in health status. Content is presented based on evidence-based practice and the prevalent health needs of patients. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This course focuses on the use of evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning and judgment to provide collaborative care to adult patients experiencing acute, rapidly changing, life-threatening alterations in health status. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This course is the clinical companion to NURS 4260. Concepts, knowledge, and skills taught in NURS 4160 will be applied to both simulation lab and clinical settings. Evidence-based, developmentally and culturally appropriate nursing care in a variety of patient-care settings will be emphasized.

This course is the clinical companion to NURS 4270. Concepts, knowledge, and skills taught in NURS 4270 will be applied in the simulation lab and clinical settings. Evidence-based, developmentally and culturally appropriate nursing care in a variety of patient-care settings will be emphasized.

This course focuses on issues related to professional practice, career planning, personal goal setting, and empowerment of self and others. Factors related to job performance, performance expectations and evaluation, reality orientation, and commitment to lifelong learning will be discussed. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

NURS 4204. Policy, Ethics, and Advocacy in Professional Nursing Practice.

This course explores the baccalaureate prepared nurse’s role informing the public policy process. Nursing jurisprudence, principles of nursing ethics, patient safety advocacy, standards and scope of nursing practice, professional boundaries, nursing peer review, and whistleblower protections are emphasized to prepare students to influence the U.S. Health Care System and society.

This course focuses on providing care to patients with complex health alterations and life situations. Nursing care to patients in a variety of settings will be provided using the concepts of therapeutic communication and collaborative interventions with a focus on the complexity of the patient’s or family’s needs. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This course applies the nursing process and evidence-based practice to the care of maternal and newborn patients in a variety of healthcare settings. The course emphasizes the use of the nursing process to provide care to individuals and families that is developmentally and culturally focused.

This course applies the nursing process and evidence-based practice to the care of pediatric patients in acute, outpatient and non-acute care settings. The course emphasizes the use of the nursing process to provide care to individuals and families that is developmentally and culturally appropriate.

Health assessment and planning will be conducted for diverse community groups including education, support groups/ resources, advocacy, response to situational crises, bio-terrorism and environmental emergencies, group dynamics, and impact on communities. Clinical experiences will occur in community or public health settings. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

This didactic course focuses on role responsibility and accountability for transition into baccalaureate nursing practice. Emphasis is given to core professional standards and ethical values fundamental to nursing. Principles of professional communication, critical thinking, and role socialization will be integrated within an organizational context for professional growth. (WI).

This course emphasizes the professional nurses’ role in application of evidence based quality improvement and risk reduction strategies that promote safe environments while maximizing resources and opportunities for positive patient outcomes. Participation in highly effective Interprofessional teams is emphasized with concepts applied to local, national and international health issues.

This course explores traditional and contemporary nursing concepts related to complex health alterations, compensations, and environments across the life span. Therapeutic communication, education, and collaborative interventions with diverse individuals and groups are emphasized including the use of complementary and alternative modalities to meet the needs of patients. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

Leadership and management skills in a variety of nursing care situations will be applied. Nursing unit leadership and staff assignments based on assessment of client needs, resources, priorities, and competencies of staff will be covered. Assessment and evaluation of the provision of evidence-based nursing care will be performed. Restricted to Nursing Majors.

Using a variety of philosophical perspectives, community-based nursing care, learning to contrast care in hospital-based settings while transitioning into organizations within the community will be explored. Reflective assessment skills and mindful intervention/teaching projects will be developed. Restricted to Nursing Majors.